Page 34 of Love and Loathing
Liam tore the note off the top and handed it to him. “This is the value of that strip.”
“Wow, that’s a big number.” Alex handed the Post-it to Charlie.
Charlie groaned. “We’re doomed.”
* * *
After the meeting, Alex and Charlie took the stairs down and walked past Swiss Bliss Salon on the main floor of the same building as the Collins and Brown office. It was barely dusk at seven-thirty. Charlie stopped out front and stared into space. “Do you think we should do what they suggest?” he asked, pointing back up to the law office. “Leave town until we’ve figured out what we’re going to do?”
Alex glanced up the street. “It’s sound advice. If we’re not here, then Daley can keep up construction on the one home without much fuss from the townsfolk.”
Charlie nodded, clearly despondent.
“I’m staying.” Alex shoved his hands in his pockets. He would stay and defend himself against Jacob—like he should’ve done all along. He thought of Jessie, of her sweet smile, quick wit, and moss-green eyes. He hadn’t seen her in a while. She’d avoided his calls and kept her replies to his texts short and to the point. If he was being honest, he knew he couldn’t leave until he talked to her, really talked to her.
If Caroline, sweet and kind Caroline, had reacted the way she did, he could only imagine what Jessie must be thinking. That he’d lied to her.
“I’m not. I’m out.” Charlie threw his hands up. “We might not have wanted to bring in fifty houses, but we brought in Steve and Kevin. They’ll buy that land, and it’ll be all our fault. I can’t face that.”
Alex furrowed his brow. “Wait a second. What about Caroline? I can’t imagine you’re okay with leaving—”
“She broke up with me,” Charlie said. “This morning.”
Alex’s stomach soured. He and Charlie had been friends since they were sixteen years old. Charlie had never fallen for any girl the way he had for Caroline. Alex had been sure that Charlie would propose any time. And Caroline was so perfect for his friend, so like him in so many ways. Sweet, kind, happy, and a big ol’ pushover. What had that silly dating app said? That they were ninety-one percent compatible? Alex couldn’t imagine what nine percent they could possibly be missing. “You love her—”
“I do, which is why I can’t stay here and watch her town be ruined. Plus, she made her position very clear.”
“You should stay. Try and fix this,” Alex tried again.
Charlie shook his head. “No. Brown and Nicholls were right. It’s better to leave town for a while.” He turned and walked off.
“Where are you going?”
“For a walk.” He waved over his head. “I’ll see you later.”
Alex walked forward a few steps, then stopped. What was he going to do, follow Charlie around when he clearly wanted to be left alone? That’s what Alex would do normally when he was sad, but this time he knew it wouldn’t work. This time the stakes were higher than he was willing to pay, but it was too late not to. He’d been right. Steve and Kevin would buy that land and follow through with their plan without them. And their company just didn’t have the capital to do anything about it. Alex slumped back into the wall of the salon, his suit coat snagging on the brick.
An older couple passed him going up the street and scowled at him.
From across the street, a guy yelled. “Down with the Young/Beaumont river development!”
Alex looked for the yeller but couldn’t find him, because he’d apparently drawn a crowd. People gathered across the street to glare at him. Was that woman holding a tomato? Oh man, it would be just his luck if people started throwing vegetables at him. He rubbed a hand over his forehead, and then he saw Jessie and Jacob push to the front of his would-be fruiting mob. Jessie glanced around, like she wasn’t sure what was going on; then her gaze found him, and her face hardened.
She said something to Jacob that made him smile. Then the worthless excuse for a human put his arms around her shoulder. She jumped and glanced up at Jacob. Her gaze darted from Jacob to Alex.
Alex pushed away from the wall, his hands going into fists. He’d beat the crap out of Jacob. Wipe the floor with him and wring him dry.
Jessie narrowed her eyes at him and grabbed Jacob’s hand that hung over her shoulder. Then the two turned and walked away.
That was it. He had to talk to her. At the very least, he had to tell her about Jacob. He couldn’t let him hurt her the way he had his sister and—Alex was sure—countless other women.
Chapter 14
Jessie sat in the little window nook at the end of the upstairs hall, readingThe Count of Monte Cristoand eating peppermint patties. She wasn’t sure why she’d pickedThe Countto read right now, but she’d been drawn to it. She’d been melancholy since that article had dropped two weeks ago. And there was something about all the injustices Edmond Dantès faced that felt apropos.
She had the house to herself. It was the last day of the balloon festival, and River Mackenzie, the famous country star, was in town and doing the closing concert at the fairgrounds. So her family had gone, leaving her to Château d’If, the count, and her own miserable thoughts. It was pretty much the only time she’d been home in the last two weeks except to sleep. She dealt with her stress by staying busy. But today, she was going to rest.
The day the article dropped, Caroline had told Charlie she wasn’t sure they could work if he kept things from her, and the conversation had ended on that note. She’d been miserable ever since. But the next morning, in true forgiving Caroline way, she’d forgiven him and driven up to the lodge to tell him that. He hadn’t been there. Apparently, he’d up and left Harvest Ranch with no plans to return. That was what Alex had told Caroline.
